Kitchen Garden Forum

I've had some good results with courgettes and some squashes and pumpins, but others seem hard to get going.

I've never got 'triple treat' to grow, one in five of 'Baby Bear' and same for 'Nutty Delicata'. The 3" pots were going in a propogator at night and on the conservatory shelf at day... could they have got too hot?

I'm going to try to direct planting some more, but the weeds are going to take some beating without a head start... any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Could it be old seed? When I throw squash seeds on the compost heap they all seem to germinate like crazy yet perversely often fail to do so in nice fresh potting compost ! You could try soaking the seed first for a few hours to give it a head start but other than that I'm afraid I can't offer any helpful suggestions.

Hi Di,
Try the same method that has been used quite successfully this year to germinate Parsnips.
If necessary nick the seed to penetrate the tough skin. Do this by covering the seed with you thumb showing a slight sliver of the seed by the thumb nail then run a very sharp knife very carefully down the thumb nail and cut that sliver off. If you have not pierced the casing repeat this until you can see that you have pierced the casing. Then place the seed in a rather wetter than usual wrapping of kitchen paper. Keep it at room temperature.
After 24 hours view the seed and reduce the amount of water in the kitchen paper.
The cut should be made the opposite end to the scar.
As soon as you see signs of germination plant into your 3" pot using damp, not saturated, compost.
You can try this on seeds, that to you, have failed to germinate.
Best of luck.
JB.